Pan is the Greek God of the wilds, shepherds and flocks, music, woodland, fertility, and friend of the nymphs. He is often depicted as having the legs and horns of a goat, similar to that of a satyr, and the torso and face of a man.
Pan worship began in Arcadia before spreading to other parts of Ancient Greece. As a God of the wilds, there were very few temples built to him, but he was often worshipped in natural settings such as caves or grottos.
His parentage is often debated, with several different versions being written. In one, he is the son of Hermes and an unnamed daughter of Dryops. In others, he is the son of Hermes and Penelope (the wife of Odysseus), or Mercury and Penelope, or even Zeus and the nymph Hybris.
He was often depicted dancing with the nymphs whilst playing his pan flute, and there are several tales involving him and his romantic relationships with the nymphs. In one, he fell in love with a nymph named Syrinx, but she did not return his affections. She fled from him to her sisters, who changed her into a reed to escape his advances. Pan couldn't tell which reed she had become, so he cut seven of them (or nine) and wove them side by side, thus forming his famed pan flute from the nymph he loved.
Pan worship began in Arcadia before spreading to other parts of Ancient Greece. As a God of the wilds, there were very few temples built to him, but he was often worshipped in natural settings such as caves or grottos.
His parentage is often debated, with several different versions being written. In one, he is the son of Hermes and an unnamed daughter of Dryops. In others, he is the son of Hermes and Penelope (the wife of Odysseus), or Mercury and Penelope, or even Zeus and the nymph Hybris.
He was often depicted dancing with the nymphs whilst playing his pan flute, and there are several tales involving him and his romantic relationships with the nymphs. In one, he fell in love with a nymph named Syrinx, but she did not return his affections. She fled from him to her sisters, who changed her into a reed to escape his advances. Pan couldn't tell which reed she had become, so he cut seven of them (or nine) and wove them side by side, thus forming his famed pan flute from the nymph he loved.
He also fell in love with the nymph Echo, but she too rejected him, and so he ordered for her to be killed. Then there was the nymph Pitys, whom he fell in love with, but she also rejected the God by turning into a pine tree to evade him.
Pan was also said to be able to instil panic in others. During the great battle with the Titans, he scared them away by screeching loudly. He would also screech angrily at those who woke him from his afternoon naps.
A God of music, he once challenged Apollo to a competition to see who was more skilled. Pan played his pan flute and Apollo his lyre, and it was agreed by all who judged (except Midas) that Apollo was the superior music maker.
Unsurprisingly, his symbols are the pan flute and the goat, and colours associated with him include green and brown (to represent his earthy nature). Pan is still a deity that is worshipped across the globe (I personally know a couple of people who follow Pan), and not much has changed in terms of his associations and the way he is worshipped in the present day. There remains an emphasis on his association with the wild, with the natural world, music, hunting, and fertility, and he is still often honoured in natural places.
Pan was also said to be able to instil panic in others. During the great battle with the Titans, he scared them away by screeching loudly. He would also screech angrily at those who woke him from his afternoon naps.
A God of music, he once challenged Apollo to a competition to see who was more skilled. Pan played his pan flute and Apollo his lyre, and it was agreed by all who judged (except Midas) that Apollo was the superior music maker.
Unsurprisingly, his symbols are the pan flute and the goat, and colours associated with him include green and brown (to represent his earthy nature). Pan is still a deity that is worshipped across the globe (I personally know a couple of people who follow Pan), and not much has changed in terms of his associations and the way he is worshipped in the present day. There remains an emphasis on his association with the wild, with the natural world, music, hunting, and fertility, and he is still often honoured in natural places.
